Conveyer construction



llatent'ed Aug. 30,` 1932 UNITED .STATES PATENT, OFFICE WALTER V. HOEREN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, SSIGNOB TO -(lOllOlblIAIl'a IRON WORKS COM- a Pm, vOIE' OHIO, A CORPORATION y clonjv'rrmrl corrsrntrcnou Appummnmea november 1s, 1931. serial No. 575,415.

For many industrial operations where it 1s necessary to transport or convey various A articles through various stages of handling,

it is necessary for the conveyer to possess suicient flexibility so `as to render it capable of easily takin bends or curves in any direction of trave To this end the conveyers are lvery often constructed in the form of chains, the respective links of which are pivotally connected together, and in which'at least certain links are capable of horizontal and vertical movement, so as to permit the direction of travel of the conveyer chain to be changed in any manner, which may be4 desired, either horizontally or vertically, so that the conveyerwill be readily accessible and eiciently operable irrespective of the number of chan es in its travel which may be imparted to t e conveyer. v go The resent invention relates toa conveyer c ain of the type generally illustrated I,im the United Staf-.es Patent No. 1,447,219, pg Jessie E. McBride, issued March 6th,

I z5 The transverse and vertical llexibility of suchconveyer chains depend lar ely upon the construction of the hnks of wgh chains are composed. The flexibility of chains, especially of such as used. in connecconstitutes 'a eat difficulty. Certain installations of t e conveyers require-the provision of a guard rail, whichv frequently may serve as an. obstruction to the complete exibility of the conveyer chain. 4

By the present invention it is proposed to eliminate the diilic-ulties which the ard rail may impose upon operation o the chain, by the displacementof the joints for vertical and transverse motion away from the `vertical line passing. through the center of the trolley, which is adapted to support the chain and which runs within a rail or the like. This arrangement ofthe joints permits bending of the chain to an angle of about 90 in a horizontal as well as in. a vertical direction. Therefore the rollers used in such chain construction to provide a fric- Itionless engagement with the uard rail and also the links themselves may made so as ich such tion with guard rails, is rather limited and to reduce the distance 4from the guard rail to the links to a minimum and to allow a very narrow and light chain construction.

Further advanta es are the construction of the links adapte to carry a roller, which links are desi ed in such amanner as to permit mountmg of the roller therein in a rigid, fool-proof and very eil'ective and compact manner. y

With the foregoing discussion ofthe problems involved in this invention and the mode of overcoming these problems, reference is now made to the accompanying drawing, in Whichv y Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing'my novel conveyer chain construction.

' lgure 2 is a top view of Figure l, certain parts being omitted.

Figure 3 is a detailed view in elevation showing the construction .of a chain link as used in connection with this invention.

Figure 4 is a sectionalvview of Figure 3, taken on line 4 4. 4

Figure 5 is a modification of the link construction shown in Figure 3, taken on line 5-'5ofFigure3. y

Figure 6 is a sectional view of Figure 3, taken on line 6-6.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic viewof a part of the conveyor c ain plainly illustrating ,the great vertical flexibility.

Referring now to Figure 1, 1 illustrates a conveyer composed of links 2 and 3 which are connected together by meanso-an intermediate member 4 adapted to permit motion of the links 2 and 3 in a horizontal and vertical direction. The link 3` comprises two side members 5 and 6 which are held together by means of a bolt 7. The said bolt 7 serves also for connectingthe link 3 with the member 4 and permits a ilexibility of the chain in a transverse direction. The link members 2 are of such a construction as to4 permit the mounting of a roller 8 which is adapted to contact with a guard ail 9, the purpose of which is to guide the conveyer chain in the direction of its travel. The link 2 is connected to the member 4 in a similar manner as the link 3 to the said member 4, so as to produce a vertical flexibility of the chain 1.Y

f The member 2 is further provided with a suspension member 10 adapted to be connected with hangers 11 and trolleys 12. The said the purpose of conveying. The rail 13 is' trolleys 12 slide upon a rail 13 which is adapted to support the weight of the chain and of any material attached tothe same for be hung or mounted upon said extension in simplify assembling of this unit.

any convenient manner as by means of hooks or the like. Not all of the link members 2 are provided with a suspension member, and, as clearly disclosed in Figure 1, .only every fourth link member is provided with such suspension member which is adapted to carry the aforementioned trolley attachment, although this spacing may be variable.

In Figures 3, 4, and'6 there are Shown devtailedviews of the link member 2. The said link member 2 comprises a body portion 16 comprising` two halves 17 and 18 which are provided with corresponding' openings 17al and 18a. The member 17 is provided with two extensions 19 and 20, while the' member 18 comprises extensions 19a and 2001. The said extensions are provided with bores 196 l and 2025A adapted to receive bolts 2f1 which serve for the purpose of connecting` the link members 2 by means of the members 4 with the link members 3. The contacting surfaces of the halves of the members 2 are provided with corresponding corrugations as shown at 22, so,` as to assure a proper alignment of the two halves 17 and 18 when the same are connected together. This may be done by welding `as lshown at 23, -.or by some other method. 'Y

- Within the members 17 and V18 is mounted the roller 8 provided with a shaft 24. The members 17 and 18 areprovided with bearing portions 25 and 26 which are adapted to enclose the end of the shaft 24 of the roller 8 when the two members 17 and 18 are connected together.. The aforementioned' corrugations 22 lassure proper alignment of these two bearingr portions 25 and 26 and therefore It has to be noted that each of the innem-v bers 17 and 18 comprises two bearing por- ,tions 25 and 26 adapted to hold the two ends.

24a-and 246 of the shaft 24 properly in place and to assure the proper mounting of the roller 8 in a horizontal plane in such a manner 7 that a comparatively rictionless mounting is produced.

Figure 5 illustrates a modification of the construction disclosed in Figure 4 anduifferentiates only from this figure insofar -as the two members 17 and 18 are divided into two unequal portions 27 and 28. The member.

Referring now again to Figure 1, itfwill be l noted that the pivotal connections of the member 2 as indicated at 31 and 32, which connect the said member with the members 4, are laterally disposed so as to carry these pivotal connections as far as possible away -trom the vertical center of the unit 2. Therefore, the dimensions of the link members in a transverse direction and also the dimensions of the rollers 8, may be reduced to a minimum, which will permit a very light construction of such chain. Furthermore, the distance between the links and the guard rail 9 maybe also reduced as far as possible, and may be only as great as to permit suicient clearance necessary. for the operation of the chain, so that the width of the same in a transverse direction can be also reduced to a minimum.

`The lateral. disposal of the pivot points 3l and 32 away from the verticalvcenter line of the member 2 further. increases the flexibility of the conveyer in a vertical direction. This vertical flexibility is clearly illustrated in Figure 7 and it will be seen that the link member 3, which is pivoted to the link member 2 by means of the intermediate memberv 4, as shown at 32, will not abut against the suspension member 10 of the link 2 and there- `fore a free rotation of the member 3 around the pivot point 32 up to an angle of 90 can be easily accomplished. This permits changing of the direction of the conveyer chain in avertical direction within a verysmall radius, which, in the constructions known ,-today, cannot be accomplished.

The invention is not to be limited to the exact arrangement of parts shown in the accom-panylng drawing and described in the specification, as various changes in the details of construction may be resorted to with- 'out-departing from the spirit of the invention. Only insofar as the invention has been particularly pointed out inthe accompany;

ing claims is the same to be limited. It will be accordingly understood that it is intended and desired to embrace within the scope of this invention such modifications and changes as may. be necessary to adapt it to varying conditions and uses.

Having thus described my invention, what I' I I' claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent' of the United States, is-` 1. Conveyer mechanism of the class described, comprising the combination with a.

guard rail and a trolley rail, of a conveyer Y chain running alongsaid guard rail and comprisng a plurality of-links, of which selected said guard body portion adapted to roll along the guard rail, the selected links being interconnected with the remaining linksbymeans of the said lateral extensions of the said body portion the said selected links including means for suspending the chain fromthe trolley rail. 2. Conveyer mechanism of the class'described comprising the combination with a guard rail and a trolle rail, of a conveyer chain running along sai guard rail and comprising a plurality of selected links, each having a body portion, lateral extensions on the body portion trolley members for each bodyI portion for suspendin the chain from the trolley rail, the said bo y portion being separable into twosub-units, bearing porthe guard rail, means on the said body ortion for pivotallyconnecting the cent links to form the chain, the said connecting means being disposed laterally away from the central vertical axis of the link,

link w1t adjaf and instrumentalities for suspending the'- chain from a support along which thechain travels.`

In testimon whereof I ailix my signature.

tions within each sub-unit, a roller within the body portion rotatably mounted in the said bearing portions adapted toroll along rail, and a plurality of links interconnected with thel lateral extension of the body portion. 3. Conv'eyer mechanism of the class described 'comprising the combination with a guard rail and a trolley rail, of a conveyer chain running alon said guard rail comprising a pluralityo n which has a body portion,lateral extensions on the body portion suspension means for the links, a trolley secured to the suspension means and mounted on the trolley rail, the said body portion being separable into two sub-units, bearing portions within each subunit, each sub-unit being provided with corresponding corrugations vto permit proper ali ment of the bearing portions,a roller selected links, each of within the body portion rotatably mounted in the said bearing portions and adapted to 'roll along said guard rail, and a plurality of n links interconnected with the lateral exten-i sion of the body portion.

4. In a eonveyer mechanism yof the class described comprising the combination withA a guard rail, of a. conveyer chain including a link member comprising a body portion, a

roller within the; body portion for engaging the guard rail, extensions 'on the lsaid body portiony provided with pivotal connecting means. laterally disposed lfrom the vertical center of body portion and roller, upwardldy extendin suspension means and downwar ly exten mg load carrying means, the `sus.-A

penslon means and the load carrying means being integral with the body portion.

5. Ina conveyer mechanism of the class described comprising the combination with a guard rail,l of a conveyer chain including a link formed of similarly shaped members t which, when joined together, form the body of the link, and defining between them' suit- -able spaces for rotatably carrying a roller, a roller` mounted in such spaces for engaging 

